Mike Madaio

Mike is a food & drink writer based in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. His work has appeared in publications such as Epikur, Main Line Today and Main Line Magazine. As a a Snooth mentor, Mike shares his love and passion for Italian wine discoveries.

We Want the Funk

I should explain. I like to refer to the savory notes that are common in old world wines generally as funk. This can include mushrooms, dirt, barnyard, tar, "scorched earth" (my favorite wine snob descriptor), forest floor, herbs, earth, smoke, meat, bacon, stinky cheese, and other things that you probably wouldn't think tasted good before you got into wine.

Though this funk can be found in many regions, I'm focusing on Italy, because, well, I focus on Italy. Here are some examples of wines and grapes with good funk.

This is a great example of how great Montepulciano can be - for a long time I thought it only made cheap, pizza wine. This, on the other hand, is on another level.
Rich, dark fruit, big body. Moderate acidity. Tannin is certainly there, but is balanced. A great sense of old world dirt. Silky smooth finish. I love this wine!